Cheese rolls are filled with a gooey cheddar filling, gluten-free, and can be served for breakfast, as a snack, or as party bites. It is like biting into pockets of melting cheese. So yummy!
As my fond memories of Brazil grow, so does my appetite for all Brazilian snacks and treats.
Brazilian cheese bread happens to be a real favorite of mine. The last time that I passed through Rio, I had some of the rolls with a cheese-filled center -- as well as other types of fillings.
As nostalgia was calling me homeward through food, I found myself preparing these naturally gluten-free cheese rolls (inspired by pão de queijo recheado com cheddar) --which pairs so great with coffee.
How about some baked goodies?
Cheese rolls recipe
This recipe is inspired by the famous Brazilian pão de queijo! Made from basic ingredients such as milk, cheese, vegetable oil, salt, eggs...
... and tapioca flour...
... this small baked good is easy and quick to prepare and delivers flavor with every single bite. The best part?
You don't have to be a great cook to come away like a hero.
Mixing the ingredients, cubing the cheese to fill small portions of dough, and then baking is ALL that you have to do. Pure enjoyment will fill both your mouth and soul!
What are Cheese Rolls?
In the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, pão de queijo has been around since the eighteenth century, but its popularity spread to other regions of the country after the 1950s.
I would say that it is one of the most popular snacks in my home country. It is relatively inexpensive, and often sold on the streets, in snack bars, cafes, airports, bakeries, Brazilian steakhouses, and supermarkets.
And that's not all!
These Cheddar-filled cheese rolls make a great snack, breakfast, and small party bites. Is there a televised sports event coming up?
Surprise your crowd with these comforting bites and you'll score major points.
But if you thought all the commotion about pao de queijo is just limited to Brazil, you'd be dead wrong.
Pão de queijo is beloved in several other South American countries and even in Japan, where it is usually made with rice flour instead of tapioca flour.
It is also becoming more and more popular in the USA now through the influence of Brazilian steakhouses (churrascarias). And this is one of those recipes that my American friends have most inquired about.
But you know what? You won't find them filled with cheese at any churrascaria.
Believe me, if you enjoy the ones served at Brazilian steakhouses here in the US, you will be totally crazy about our cheese rolls.
After all, they contain the best of two countries: American cheddar on the inside and an exquisite Brazilian dough on the outside. 😉
So grab your cup of coffee and enjoy our finger-licking cheese rolls.
How to make cheese rolls
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Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C).
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Place the tapioca flour in a large bowl and set aside.
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In a small saucepan, mix the milk, oil, and salt together and bring to a boil. Pour the hot liquid mixture into the reserved bowl of flour, stirring well with a wooden spoon. Mix in the egg, and then add the crumbled queso fresco and grated Parmesan. Sprinkle the thyme if desired. Knead the dough for about 2-3 minutes or until homogeneous.
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Lightly grease your hands with vegetable oil. Using a tablespoon as measurement, make balls of dough and open an indentation in the center to fill in with a cube of cheddar. Close the dough around the cheese cube, seal tightly, and shape it into a round ball, making sure there aren't any gaps where the cheese is exposed. SEE PICS. 1-4
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Place them on the lined baking sheet and bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until they begin to lightly brown. Serve while warm accompanied by coffee, guaraná soda, caipirinha, or other beverage of your choice.
Can I use another type of cheese?
Yes! In fact, you can use any cheese that melts well to fill these baked goodies.
Storage
Freeze unbaked cheese rolls for up to 2 months in a freezer bag. Then bake and enjoy! They are an easy freezer recipe!
Or store baked leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one day.
Make sure to microwave for up to 10-15 seconds and eat right away; otherwise, they will become hard and chewy. They are best eaten fresh!
Other bread recipes
- Pumpkin bread
- No yeast bread
- Cauliflower bread
- Eggless bread
- Moist Banana Bread Recipe
- Garlic Rolls
- Oat Rolls (with Honey Butter)
- Bacon and Cheese Brazilian Hot Pockets
PIN & ENJOY!
Cheese Rolls (Gluten-Free)
Equipment
- oven
- baking sheet
- bowl
Ingredients
- 2 cups tapioca flour 250 g
- ½ cup whole milk 120 ml
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil use extra to grease hands
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 3.5 oz queso fresco crumbled, about 100 g
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme optional
- 15 cubes medium or sharp Cheddar cheese for the filling ⅓ to ½-inch
Instructions
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C).
- Place the tapioca flour in a large bowl and set aside.
- In a small saucepan, mix the milk, oil, and salt together and bring to a boil. Pour the hot liquid mixture into the reserved bowl of flour, stirring well with a wooden spoon. Let it cool just enough to handle it using your hands.
- Mix in the egg, and then add the crumbled queso fresco and grated Parmesan. Sprinkle the thyme if desired. Knead the dough for about 2-3 minutes or until homogeneous. If needed, add more tapioca flour, spoonful by spoonful, until the dough does NOT stick in your hands anymore!
- Lightly grease your hands with vegetable oil. Using a tablespoon as measurement, make balls of dough and open an indentation in the center to fill in with a cube of cheddar.
- Close the dough around the cheese cube, seal tightly, and shape it into a round ball, making sure there aren't any gaps where the cheese is exposed.
- Place the rolls on the lined baking sheet and bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until they begin to lightly brown. Serve while warm accompanied by coffee, guaraná soda, caipirinha, or other beverage of your choice.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
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So beautiful ! Never tried before : one more reason to do ! Thank you so much !
Oie Denise, para matar as saudades de casa, fui fazer esta receita. Minha massa não ficou nenhum pouco modelavel como a sua 🙁
Ficou grudenta, como uma cola. Modelei usando duas colheres...Vamos ver,o que será que aconteceu?
Ola, Janis!!! A temperatura da estacao pode alterar as medidas da receita, requerendo mais ou menos polvilho doce. Eh por isso que escrevi na receita para colocar mais polvilho se necessario, de modo a obter uma massa firme o suficiente para enrolar as bolinhas de pao de queijo. Espero que isso ajude! Um abraco.
Dear Denise,
I would really like to try these as party snacks. Any thoughts what could substitute the queso fresco? I'm afraid I won't find it at our local markets/grocery shops 🙁
Hi, Anna! No worries! Parmesan cheese can be used instead. In this case, skip the salt because the Parm cheese already contains a lot of salt. If you freeze the rolls for about 30-60 minutes before baking them, it will also help to soften the dough -- and the filling will stay most inside. Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy!
Hello. These look amazing!!!! Sera que da pra usar mozzarella invez de cheddar?
Amo as receitas!!! Bjs
Debora: Muito obrigada!
Sim, voce podera usar cubinhos de mozzarella ao inves de cheddar. Bom apetite!
So delicious, I have heard of the Brazilian cheese rolls before but never made them myself. I cannot buy tapioca flour around here though (well maybe on the Internet), could I make them with normal flour?
Hi, Adina!
Thank you! I have never made them with all-purpose flour so I'd not know how they would turn out. But I heard they are made with rice flour instead in Japan. I don't know which country do you live in but we can get obtain tapioca flour at Whole Foods under the brand Bob's Red Mill, several Asian markets also carry it but under different brands, or online at Amazon.com:
Please, google in your area to check where tapioca flour would be available.
We have a supermarket frozen version of this dish. I usually just buy them now I know how to make them thanks to you.
This is a superb meze! We server tyropitakia in parties which are various cheese-filled dough treats and are extremely popular, so you can imagine how much we'd LOVE to try the Brazilian version filled with cheddar! And the possibilities are endless. Thank you so much for another AMAZING recipe dearest Denise!
Sending you lots of love from frozen Athens!
xoxoxo
A totally new, unique recipe for me! And they are not laborious to make at all 🙂
Thank you for this detail post ... your hardwork and passion show here vividly.
Hope 2016 is treating you nice and kind.
Hugs. And hoping to bake those cuties soon 🙂
Thank you, my dear, for the visit and always kind words. Enjoy!
These cheese rolls have an unusual texture- they look almost like eggs with the yolk running out (but I assume it's the cheese). Pinning this for sure!
Perfect Super Bowl food! So very scrumptious!
They look cheesy and so good. I've heard of these but never made it, this is goooey and yummy.
Great appetizer.
xx
Wow! These look wonderful. Love cheese. Love bread. Put them together in these rolls? Bliss!
These sound amazing Denise. What a fun appetizer these would make!
Holy hubcaps... these cheese balls look and sound amazing. Is it traditional that you serve with coffee? I might make some of these beauties for Australia Day celebrations next week, they'd work great with a beer or even champagne I reckon. Great recipe lovely Denise.
Thanks, friend! They go well with any drink of your choice. Beer is a great option too. xx
2 cups of tapioca flour wd be opprox. 500gm, not 250gm. pls clarify.
thank you
No Karuna! One U.S. cup of tapioca flour (not the sour type which is coarse but the thin tapioca flour that you find in every American supermarket) weights 125 grams so 2 cups would be 250 grams. The measurement/weight is correct in the recipe.
I've seen Brazilian rolls before and thought they were so decadent looking - only thing better are Brazilian rolls with cheddar! Thanks for sharing this Denise - my daughter would LOVE these as they are gluten free!